Q: My 3-month-old suddenly refuses to take a bottle. What can I do before I return to work?

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Question: My three-month-old has been combination breastfed and bottle-fed since birth without any issues. Over the last few weeks, she has started to reject the bottle more and more. Now, she only accepts it about 10% of the time and even protests when fed while half-asleep.

I'm scheduled to return to work soon and this is becoming very stressful. We have tried moving up a nipple size and have experimented with many different types of bottles. She seems to have a slight preference for one bottle, but her refusal is still getting worse. It doesn't seem to matter who feeds her, what time of day it is, or what her mood is like. What can we do to overcome this sudden bottle aversion?

Answer: Oh... sounds so stressful! Lots of us have been there. It's super common for babies to suddenly decide "nope" to bottles around this age, even if they were fine before. Brains are weird!

Since you've tried different bottles/nipples, have you tried having someone ELSE offer the bottle? Sometimes if mom isn't around (like, leave the house if you can), baby is more willing. They smell you and want the real deal!

Or... temperature check? Some babies are picky about milk temp. Try a little warmer or cooler? Even the nipple temp can matter (run under warm water).

For extra peace of mind and clear guidance when tracking your child's symptoms, the FeverCoach app is always there to help.

https://fevercoach.us